Zephyr007

The replacement cost would
indeed be much much higher, however the theory goes that the carbon ceramic rotor should last much longer provided it's not abused.

gk1

And it's only ceramics in front. Albeit I guess ceramics are not "needed" all around in such a small car, but if you're going ceramic at all why not all 4 corners....

Timmay

Probably because they'd charge another few grand for having the rear brakes ceramic.

marttimat

Lets not forget the staggered wheel fitment as well...With 255 in front and 235 in rear.

Almost reminds me of the 1/4 mile tuned up Honda's

tjacoby

might be correct - I'm seeing more wear on the steel rotors than I was expecting for street driving. The car does stop very well though.

Flying Scotsman

Another point is that the ceramic brakes are prone to squealing/noise issues. Yes,the Canadian option list does not force you into the ceramic brakes with sport exhaust system. I wish Audi and others would get off the package options which IMO put items in I do not desire and force up the price

fujima729

Magnetic ride - if you intend to daily drive the car, it is a must option (in my opinion). Magnetic ride is more comfort focused option, it makes the ride a lot more comfortable in comfort mode. If the purpose of the car is mainly track focused, standard suspension is probably the more sensible option.

Sports exhaust - black tips and a little bit louder than stock. Sadly neither has the "pops and bangs" on downshifts, like the pre-facelift models do... ((

SteveO987

Not really sure where some of this information is coming from but it's time to set some things straight:

I ordered my RS3 with the fixed suspension and the sports exhaust. It is my daily driver. The ceramic brakes haven't squeaked at all on my daily commute. The only time I hear any kind of noise from them is first thing on a cold morning when backing out of the driveway. Maybe a split second of a low pitched squeal and then it's gone.

The fixed suspension is a pleasure to drive. I know the roads in some other parts of the country are not all the good to drive on. We have our fair share of potholes in the PNW but for every day driving, the fixed suspension is perfect for me.

To people who think the sports exhaust is too loud or not loud enough, that's personal preference. Everyone who test drove a car might not have spent enough time in the car. Drop the shifter into Sport mode and the car will pop and bang on downshifts. This is on a completely stock car. Don't like the noise? Put the shifter back in Drive. Honestly, it's a great compromise for those that don't want to let on what's going on with the car. It can be stealthy if you want it to be or snarling and aggressive sounding. I've seen the "Jekyll and Hyde" comment come up in a few reviews and it's spot on.

I've seen mention of of the rear brakes being worn down more quickly than the fronts. This is the way the brakes are setup to work. The rears clamp a little earlier and harder than the fronts to "settle" the car instead of getting the nose dive. I've been looking to see if there's some coding to change this. Haven't found anything yet.

I can not wait for a track day to see what the car can really do in a more "predictable" environment.

Will I end up upgrading parts of the car in the future? Absolutely! I bought this car for what it can be. I just opted to start off on a platform that would not have to be upgraded immediately with brakes, suspension and exhaust like I've done with almost every car in the past.

This is the first car that I've purchased that is almost "perfect" from the start. The only thing I would change is the front seats. Just not low enough for my tastes. Again, personal preference.

Enjoy the cars!

fujima729

Here is a good illustration facelift vs pre-facelift exhaust note difference.


Facelift has no doubt a really nice sound, but the pops and bangs that were on the pre-facelift are gone (those were brutal) You still get the burbles on downshifts, but don't expect the same kind of pops and bangs as on the pre-facelift.

Pre-facelift downshifts:

tjacoby

here in Wet Vancouver, I'm getting mild grinding noises first few brake applications, being on a hill and the car lives outside in the rain & snow and 10,000km's, there's always a bit of rust accumulating on the rotors. It was so bad after 3 weeks of being parked, I took it in for service to be checked a rotor wasn't warped. Just needed an 'italian' tune up, and all was fine. Apparently steel rotors aren't perfect either.

+1 for the fixed suspension - I only find it annoying when the road's broken up or rippled from heavy trucks.